LUKE JEPHCOTT

Full Name: Luke Owen Jephcott

Born: 26 January 2000

Came from: Trainee   Went to: Released

First game: 20 October 2018   Last game: 16 August 2022

Appearances: 118 (84/34)   Goals: 37

Born in Aberystwyth, Jephcott grew up in Ponsanooth, West Cornwall, where he went to school at Penryn College. After playing boys' football with Wendron United and Helston Athletic, he joined Argyle's Cornwall Centre of Excellence and then signed for the Academy as an under-14. He also represented West Cornwall Schools at under-13 and 14 levels.

The striker made his Argyle under-18 debut during the 2015-16 season and also had his first experience of men’s football when he played in South West Peninsula League and Merit League 1 fixtures. In the early part of the 2015-16 season he was invited to attend Wales' under-16's training camp and in May 2018 was called up for the Wales Under-19 squad, going on to play seven times between May and October 2018.

Having played in Central League fixtures in the 2017-18 season, Jephcott was offered a one-year professional contract by manager Derek Adams, which he signed in July 2018. As a result of his continuing progress, he was rewarded with his Football League debut in October 2018, appearing as a late substitute and thereby becoming the first player born in the 21st century (and third millennium) to play for Argyle's first-team. Ten days later he was rewarded with his first senior start, and at the end of the season deservedly won the Young Player of the Season trophy.

Often used in a wider forward role by Adams, who was dismissed following the club's return to basement football in 2019, Jephcott then faced the task of winning over new manager Ryan Lowe. After scoring four in a pre-season friendly, he began the 2019-20 campaign on a 28-day youth loan at Truro City, which was extended until he was recalled in January 2020 because of striker injuries at Home Park. Having scored regularly for Truro, the 19-year-old made an instant impression back on his home turf. Given a more traditional centre-forward's role by Lowe, he weighed in with four goals in his first two games back in green, and three more goals helped the Pilgrims win promotion back to the third tier in a season that was cut short by the Covid-19 pandemic. Once again, the promising striker won the Young Player of the Season award.

Jephcott's best campaign lay ahead. 18 goals in 46 appearances, including a remarkable 14 goals in a run of 18 league games, saw him top the 2020-21 goalscoring chart and earn him a new two-year contract. That same season he played his first of ten games for Wales under-21s.

A total of 12 goals in 45 games followed in 2021-22, and then in September 2022 he began a season-long loan at Swindon Town in League Two, for whom he scored seven times in 33 games.

With Argyle promoted to the Championship, Jephcott was released in May 2023, and that summer he headed north of the border to sign a two-year deal for ex-Pilgrim Steven MacLean, manager of St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership.

Jephcott made 10 appearances for The Saints but failed to find the net, and in January 2024 he joined EFL League Two club Newport County on a free transfer.